With today being world Earth Day, the Breakwells team have been busy reviewing their current CSR policies and looking at other ways in which they can support this year’s theme, which is to “Restore Our Earth”. After a month of brain storming there has been some great suggestions from the team and a few key areas for improvement and development have been agreed. Read more about these and our current environmental initiatives below:
Plant a review and we will plant a tree – This is an initiative that Breakwells have been considering for a while and in simple terms for every review we receive, we would plant a tree. Breakwells have been in contact with local schools to look at the options and viability of this project and are now very keen to move it forward. As well as being very aesthetically pleasing, trees provide many benefits to the environment; they remove and store carbon from the atmosphere, they enhance air quality and can slow heavy rain that can help reduce the risk of flooding. Russell thought it would be great to get local school children involved so they will get a better understanding of the environment and environmental concerns, but in a fun way.
Biodegradable packaging – This has always been high on the agenda for Breakwells and we were very excited to make our first ever Tiktok last week, showcasing our dissolving packing Peanut, https://www.facebook.com/breakwellspaints/. Biodegradable packing peanuts are made from natural, nontoxic sources, such as wheat and corn starch. They dissolve in water and can be thrown into compost piles after use. This is a great way to dispose of them if they can not be re-used anywhere else. Russell is a massive fan of Greta Thunberg and has been following Greta and the work she does for many years.
Reducing plastic – At the beginning of 2021 the business made the decision that where possible, they would remove plastic packaging from their deliveries, replacing it with cardboard. Traditionally Breakwells would have despatched an aerosol wrapped in bubble wrap inside a plastic bag, these are now sent in a cardboard box with biodegradable packing peanuts.
Toner Recycling – Recycling is an area that Breakwells already focus on but as a business they are always looking at ways to recycle more. Toner cartridges were suggested and MD Russell has been in talks with Green Printing Solutions. Green printing solutions are a business that have been built on promoting environmentally sustainable printing practices by offering eco-friendly printer consumables alongside a recycling service.
Environmentally friendly paint disposal service – This is very much in its infancy but Breakwells Paints are looking into the possibility of setting up their own paint recycling centre, so customers can bring back any unused or left over paint and it can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. This project is only at the discussion stage but Sales Manager Steve is exploring all the options to see if it is something that will be viable for us in the future.
On World Earth Day these are just a few areas we have been discussing, so to keep up to date with our progress, and other environmental initiatives we are considering, by keeping an eye on our blog and following us on social media.